BRITAIN'S DEFENSE SECRETARY DES BROWNE SAID MONDAY THAT A NEW SECURITY PLAN WAS IN THE WORKS FOR THE FORMERLY PEACEFUL CITY OF BASRA AIMED AT PAVING THE WAY FOR THE HANDOVER OF SECURITY IN THE TROUBLED SOUTHERN AREA TO IRAQI FORCES. BROWNE SAID THE PLAN WOULD MIMIC A MASSIVE OPERATION LAUNCHED LAST WEEK IN BAGHDAD, WHERE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF IRAQ TROOPS BACKED BY U.S. FORCES FANNED OUT IN THE STREETS. «THERE IS A PLAN FOR THE SECURITY OF BAGHDAD AND I AM HERE TO DISCUSS AN EQUIVALENT PLAN FOR THE SECURITY OF BASRA,» BROWNE SAID DURING A JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE WITH IRAQI PRESIDENT JALAL TALABANI. «THAT NEW SECURITY PLAN HAS A LONGTERM AIM OF HANDING OVER RESPONSIBILITY FOR SECURITY TO THE IRAQI SECURITY FORCES,» HE SAID, ADDING THAT WOULD ALSO BE CONTINGENT ON REFORM WITHIN THE POLICE SERVICE. BROWNE DID NOT GIVE A TIMEFRAME FOR THE TRANSFER OF SECURITY RESPONSIBILITIES AFTER THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT'S ASSERTION THAT ITS FORCES COULD BEGIN TAKING OVER SOUTHERN PROVINCES FROM COALITION FORCES NEXT MONTH. «WE WILL STAY HERE AS LONG AS THERE IS A JOB TO BE DONE AND AS LONG AS THE IRAQI PEOPLE AND THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT WANT US TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM,» HE SAID. TALABANI SAID HE ALSO ASKED THE DEFENSE SECRETARY «TO ENCOURAGE BRITISH COMPANIES, ESPECIALLY OIL COMPANIES, TO COME TO IRAQ IN ORDER TO INVEST AND WORK IN THE SAFE AREAS IN THE SOUTH AND IN KURDISTAN.»
